Wit Beyond Measure
by Pax Cronin
Summary: After Helena steals her mother's diadem, Rowena seeks the help of the Baron to find her. But when he returns, she finds a shocking discovery. A/N: THis is my first HP fanfic! SO excited to get it out! Hope you all like it!


Rowena

"Helena, please reconsider." I say softly in the living quarters of my house. My daughter, Helena, though having many of my traits, and I are always at odds. Her beautiful chestnut hair resembled mine. But she was bold, like her father, Godric Gryffindor.

Yes it's true; Helena is Godric Gryffindor's daughter. He doesn't even know. She doesn't know. But if anyone paid close attention to her, you would notice her fiery personality, but her creativity. She never thinks she's good enough, never. But I have always thought she had more than me. With her courage and will to be outgoing, she could accomplish her dreams, just as I did.

"Mother, I have told you!" she yells in her shrill voice, "I cannot stand it here, I cannot stand you, the other children here, and I hate that I am will never be as clever as you expect me to be!"

I stand there coldly, she returns my emotions. She takes out her wand, and evaporates into the air. She's gone. There's no way I can trace her. No way at all. So I must take a drastic measure.

I head into the neighboring hamlet of Hogsmeade. The cold air nips my nose and freezes my tears, can that even be? I feel like it is. My mind has been flooded with memories of Helena. Her soft hair and pure white skin. Her delicate fingers were always finicky about what she touched.

I swing open the heavy wooden door of the Three Broomsticks Pub. As I step in and remove my dark blue hood, I reveal my true status as Rowena Ravenclaw, founder of Hogwarts and Ravenclaw house. The pub silences. I walk over to the bar, filled with criminals and thieves, I take a seat. The barkeep makes his way over.

"And for the lass?" he asks politely, as if trying to impress me.

"I'm looking for the Baron." I say.

"The Baron?" he replies softly, to not disturb the normal grumbles of the pub

"Yes, I need him to fetch something for me." I reply

The keep leaves the bar and enters a tiny room. I silently wait for him to return. When he does, he gives me a polite nod and I follow him. He leads me down a narrow hallway; I follow like a cat being lead to milk. He opens another heavy wooden door, revealing the Baron, soaked in rum and reeking of butter beer.

"Baron, I require your services." I say, trying to wake him from his hang over.

He moves slightly and groans, "I require payment." His eyes remain closed.

"The payment I give you in return is my daughter's hand." I say, he recognizes who I am.

"Rowena?" he says, waking up.

"Yes, Helena has disappeared. I am afraid I cannot track her. I need you."

He slowly gets up from his bed and stands up. He holds his head and tries to massage a headache out of it. He tries to open his eyes to adjust to the very low light that we're in, but he fails and quickly shuts them.

"Please Baron," I say, "I don't know what she might do."

He steadies himself on an end table and then opens a window. He takes some snow off the cold ground and throws it onto his face, "I'll return when I find her." He says, chivalrously.

I nod. He disappears just as Helena did hours earlier. Now, I must wait for his return.

It's been years since the Baron set off in search of Helena. My health has rapidly declined. I wish nothing but the return of Helena. And the Baron. Salazar has left the school, after a long debate about muggle born children being educated.

After my long, tiresome years of waiting, the Baron returned, but as a pale white, he returned as a ghost. His shirt, stained with blood. Who's blood? I don't know, nor do I want to find out. He approaches me and whispers in my ear, "She wanted you to have this." He says slowly and god-like as he pulls my diadem out of a sack. I carefully inspect it, "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." I say aloud, feeling the cold silver that makes up the diadem. I feel the dark blue gem that dangles from the ornate top. The wearer will become more clever, just by placing it on their heads. It seems almost silly really, my daughter stole it from me, to become clever.

"Where is she?" I ask, afraid of an answer.

"Dead," he says, lowering his head, "as am I."

"How?" I say, tears beginning to fill my eyes.

"I-I had to, but," he begins to sob, "I killed myself afterward. I couldn't bear the thought without her anymore."

I then grasp my diadem tightly and leave. I walk to a secret room that I set up,, the Room of Requirement, where any student can find what they need, just when they need it. As I open the room I find a nice place to store it. Far away from anyone who could ever wish to use it. Never again will it take another life, never again will someone die because they wanted it. Never again.

As I close the doors and walk to my bed chambers I repeat in my mind, "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure."


End file.
